Required Reading

I’m sorry you campaigned for reelection on the famous false promise: “If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan. Period.”

I’m sorry your aides debated whether to tell the full truth (that people could keep their insurance only if it hadn’t changed and if it met your standards) and decided instead to institutionalize the lie.

I’m sorry that when Americans recognized the deception you tried to reinvent history: “What we said was you can keep it if it hasn’t changed since the law passed.” No, no, no, no, no—that’s not what you guys said.

I’m sorry you didn’t trust Americans with the truth.

I’m sorry that the Democratic Party’s decades-old chase toward universal health care is now at risk because your law—your legacy, sir—is off to such a miserable start. The online networks don’t work and the people you need bought into the system, particularly young Americans, can’t access the market and now may never trust it … or you.